


The Untold Story

by rhodrymavelyne



Series: Scenes From Hannibal's Trial [2]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:42:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26736079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhodrymavelyne/pseuds/rhodrymavelyne
Summary: Ah, the lies and hidden truths flying around during Hannibal’s trial! Freddie senses there’s more to the story than everyone’s telling, taking an opportunity to talk to Frederick Chilton and Bedelia Du Maurier, well aware that Clarice Starling is listening to her. And that she may have copyright issues when she finally writes Murder Husbands with Chilton’s plans for his own book about Hannibal Lecter, Blood and Chocolate.
Relationships: Alana Bloom/Hannibal Lecter, Alana Bloom/Margot Verger, Alana Bloom/Will Graham, Bedelia Du Maurier/Benetti (this one's for you Gillian Anderson :)), Bedelia Du Maurier/Frederick Chilton, Bedelia Du Maurier/Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling/Miriam Lass, Dr. Frederick Chilton/Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter/Miriam Lass, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: Scenes From Hannibal's Trial [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945918
Kudos: 9





	The Untold Story

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third and final part of Scenes From Hannibal's Trial, although there more interconnected stories than a series...and this one mostly takes place outside the courtroom. I don't own Hannibal but for months it has owned me.

There it was again. Margo Verger was giving Hannibal Lecter a covert glance from under lowered eyelashes. Margo Verger, Dr. Lecter’s patient. Sister to Mason Verger, Dr. Lecter’s last victim. 

Mason Verger had been so dirty, all his filth spewed out for the world to see, once he and his money were no longer around to shield him. His loyal lackeys, those that could still stomach him at the end of his life were dead. Dr. Lecter might as well have been doing a public service by adding Mason Verger to the Chesapeake Ripper’s body count. 

Freddie Lounds wasn’t so sure. That covert glance Margo Verger gave Hannibal Lecter was too much like the one Dr. Alana Bloom had given her former mentor, lover, and would-be killer. Dr. Bloom, who’d been Mason Verger’s psychiatrist and was now Margo Verger’s lover. Dr. Bloom, who’d once been the enamoured champion of Will Graham, who was still, along with Jack Crawford, trying to shield Will Graham from too much scrutiny on the part of his former psychiatrist. 

Oh, there was a story here, juicy with scandal beyond Will Graham’s hushed testimony for the defense of being Mason Verger’s prisoner before Hannibal Lecter rescued him. Will Graham, who was a witness for the prosecution as well, testifying about how Hannibal kidnapped Jack Crawford and himself, nearly cutting open his skull and eating his brains. 

It was the scandal of the century and Freddie only had pieces of it. And never mind that all of this had happened after Abigail Hobbs’s dead body had been found next to a fatally wounded Will Graham in Hannibal Lecter’s kitchen. A kitchen whose pantry had contained a dying Jack Crawford bleeding from the neck, a broken Alana Bloom lying outside the rain in shattered pieces of the window, and enough human meat inside for another cannibalistic dinner party. 

Court adjourned. Alana Bloom and Jack Crawford stayed at Will Graham’s side, flanking him as if they were his body guards. Margo Verger drifted back to speak softly to Miriam Lass and that fiesty friend of hers, what was her name? Ah, yes, Clarice Starling. Jimmy Price and Brian Zeller followed them, although not before Zeller shot a hard glance in Freddie’s direction. He never had forgiven her for that article on Will Graham. Brian Zeller only had himself to blame. He should have been more discreet. 

“Hannibal’s House of Horrors,” Chilton confided, getting to his feet with a smirk. “Jack Crawford doesn’t know how lucky he was not to be an entree. I doubt Hannibal cared enough about Dr. Bloom to see if she lived or died. He’d already gotten what he wanted of her.”

“And Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs?” It was an effort to keep the catch out of her voice at Abigail’s name as Freddie rose from her seat. “He framed Will Graham for Abigail’s death, sparing her from arrest herself, yet he tried to kill both of them.”

“Hannibal’s love is hardly a safe thing to have, something both Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs had to learn the hard way.” Chilton tapped his upper lip and began to head for the exit, waiting for everyone else to mill out. He kept his attention fixed on Jack Crawford, Will Graham, and Dr. Bloom’s backs. “I think this may be a major theme in my next book, Blood and Chocolate.”

“Writing a new book already?” Dr. Du Maurier spoke in a hushed voice which made you pay strict attention to her every word. She was a little bit like Will Graham in that respect. Freddie hadn’t realized she was walking right alongside Dr. Chilton and herself, heels barely making a click. “You’ve only just published Hannibal the Cannibal.”

“Got to strike while Hannibal is still hot.” Chilton grinned, fingering the head of his cane. “You never know when someone new will come along and steal the spotlight.”

Freddie was aware of the sharp green eyes of Clarice Starling gazing at her, even as she stayed at Miriam Lass’s side. Miriam was keeping a distance from Dr. Chilton, avoiding him. Not that the good doctor seemed to have noticed she was there. A careless attitude to have toward the woman who’d shot him but Dr. Chilton was careless about many things. 

“You’re going to write about Abigail Hobbs as well as Will Graham?” Freddie managed to keep her voice even. “You do realize I have exclusive rights to Will Graham’s story.”

“Please. I copyrighted Hannibal the Cannibal. You have nothing but a verbal agreement and no witnesses to it.” Dr. Chilton looked Freddie up and down. “Do you really think you can keep this story to yourself? Especially when it involves Hannibal’s appetites for love, death, and eating a man he loved?” 

“Do you really think Hannibal would destroy his darling after he’d killed a judge to spare him the death penalty?” Freddie stared right back at Dr. Chilton, allowing her eyes to linger on the cheek where he’d taken a bullet. “Will Graham was being punished for his treachery in a theatrical, no, operatic fashion. This is why he was stabbed and Abigail’s throat was slashed. This was why Dr. Bloom was thrown from a window.”

She wasn’t going to add that there was every sign that Abigail Hobbs had been the one who pushed Dr. Bloom out that window. Freddie was going to do her best to honor Will Graham’s wish that Abigail be allowed to rest in peace. At least not unless she had to resurrect Abigail for the sake of the story, but she’d try to edit that part. 

Once again Freddie found herself aware of Clarice Starling’s intense gaze. It reminded her a bit of Will Graham’s, only there was an inquisitive quality to it which also brought back memories of Abigail Hobbs. Not that Clarice looked anything like Will or Abigail with her dusky skin or her dreadlocks swinging around her hollow-cheeked face. It was more of a quality in the way she moved, tilted her head, listened to everything around her while continuing to be attentive to Miriam. 

“In his twisted way, Hannibal truly loved Will Graham.” Once again Dr. Du Maurier drew everyone’s attention with her hushed voice. “He changed in his sessions after he met Will. The first time Hannibal mentioned his name, I thought he’d fallen in love.”

“Only you were the one he took with him to Europe.” Freddie wasn’t about to let this chance slip away to talk to the mysterious woman who’d been Hannibal Lecter’s other bride. “Not Will Graham. Not Abigail Hobbs.”

“Only because Will betrayed him and Abigail was the link between them. He had to sever it by destroying her.” Something in the icy blonde’s eyes softened when she looked at Freddie. Had she spotted a weakness in the reporter when it came to Abigail? “It’s entirely possible he might have grabbed Miriam Lass but I was more…convenient.”

“Because it was so much easier to get into the head of a trained therapist who knew all his tricks than a girl’s that he’d successfully broken before.” Freddie wasn’t buying it, Bedelia’s story of being brainwashed. Dr. Du Maurier seemed far too cool and composed to be such easy prey. “Convincing you he was Roman Fell and you were Lydia Fell.”

The trio had reached the end of the hall, which broadened into a greater hall where every sound echoed and rang. The door outside was only a short distance away. 

“Hannibal is far more manipulative and persuasive than anyone realized, even me.” Dr. Du Maurier looked down for a moment. “The groundwork had been laid for my fall, even when I thought I was in control as Hannibal’s therapist.”

Dr. Du Maurier reached the door but Dr. Chilton hurried to open it for her. Freddie watched, wondering if she’d object. 

Clarice Starling also watched, although she and Miriam were hanging back. Zeller and Price had disappeared. 

Bedelia Du Maurier smiled with tired amusement and nodded her thanks, going through the door. 

Dr. Chilton didn’t keep it open for Freddie. He gazed Dr. Du Maurier as he were both bewitched and fascinated. He nodded ever so slightly as if her words truly resonated with him. Freddie had to catch the door herself. She looked back at the two young agents.

Clarice Starling nodded at her in a knowing, yet not unfriendly fashion. Miriam Lass was avoiding looking at Chilton or Freddie. 

It might be interesting to talk to these two young agents but right now, Freddie didn’t want to let Bedelia Du Maurier go. She hurried after the two doctors who’d headed down the courthouse steps. 

“Will Graham and Jack Crawford’s trap must have worked to some degree.” Freddie mused out loud, catching up with her prey. The two doctors and the tabloid reporter through the small park right outside the courtyard. Fallen leaves crunched beneath their feet. “Hannibal Lecter must have believed that Will Graham was ready to become his murder husband when he thought Will killed me.” 

“Abigail Hobbs was their daughter.” Chilton gave Freddie a sideways glance as if he’d just remembered she was present. “Like Medea, Hannibal killed their offspring when Will was unfaithful.”

“Hannibal Lecter was quite convincing when he said he cared about Abigail, that he wanted to protect her.” Freddie gave Chilton a sideways glance of her own. “I’m not easy to convince.”

“He did.” Bedelia gazed at Freddie for a long moment. “Just because Hannibal loves you doesn’t mean you’re not on the menu.”

“As you were?” Freddie studied this cool, implacable woman. “When you were Lydia Fell, he fed you acorns and oysters as the ancient Romans did to animals they planned to devour.”  


“You’re well-informed.” Bedelia studied Freddie with what might have been a tiny smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Or it could have been a frown.

“Detective Benetti was very accomodating with the details about your time as Lydia Fell. He was very anxious no scandal would fall upon La Polizia for the ill-advised actions of those bought by Mason Verger.” Freddie watched Dr. Du Maurier’s face carefully. “He said you were in quite a state when he spoke to you.”

“He was very kind.” A slight flush colored Bedelia Du Maurier’s cheeks, well, well. “I had no idea who I was when he interviewed me. He helped bring me back to reality.”

“Reality becomes mutable when you’re in Hannibal Lecter’s clutches, something I noticed when Will Graham was in my care.” Eager to impress Dr. Du Maurier, Dr. Chilton was quick to name his own accomplishments. “It was I who helped him recover his memories of what Hannibal actually did to him in therapy. I could help you as well, Dr. Du Maurier.”

“Thank you, Dr. Chilton.” Dr. Du Maurier looked down at her feet. “I am, however, trying hard to forget.”

Leaves scattered and took flight around them in a sudden breeze. Clarice Starling and Miriam Lass were coming down the stairs. Miriam took them slowly, gazing at her hand, her arm the entire time. Clarice gave her space, watching her with a downcast expression. 

“You prove my point, in any case, Dr. Du Maurier.” Dr. Chilton had finally noticed Miriam Lass. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, making his entire face look harder. “Dr. Hannibal Lecter may be capable of affection, even love, but it is the love of a monster. It’s not something you can trust.”

Miriam lifted her head to meet Chilton’s stare. She, too, pressed her lips together, tightening her fingers on the railing. Clarice moved down the steps a little faster so she wasn’t exactly blocking Miriam’s path to Chilton, but he’d have to pass her if he wanted to approach the other woman. 

Emotionally Miriam might still feel that Chilton was the Chesapeake Ripper even though she knew he wasn’t. Clarice was simply reacting to a threat to her friend. 

For a few moments, Hannibal Lecter’s victims stared at each other across the space of the park until a third victim appeared. If you could call him that. 

Freddie wasn’t entirely sure. Yes, Will Graham was and he wasn’t, just as she had a feeling Bedelia Du Maurier was and she wasn’t. 

Chilton turned his head sharply to gaze at Will with an almost hungry intensity. Bedelia Du Maurier regarded him with quiet amusement. 

Will wasn’t even looking at them. He lifted his head to study the steps and the stone walls of the courtroom in a dreamlike, fixated manner. The scar was prominent upon his forehead. 

Dr. Bloom and Jack Crawford both noticed Chilton’s attention. They smiled at him, yet in a distinctly menacing way. Freddie, too. They didn’t even acknowledge Bedelia Du Maurier.  


“I wonder if that’s true for another monster,” Freddie murmured, glancing at Dr. Du Maurier before returning her attention to Will. 

Dr. Du Maurier offered no insight. She glanced at Will for a moment before studying Miriam and Clarice as if something about the two women had struck her as interesting. 

It was Chilton who answered. 

“You’ll have to ask the monster.” The wounded therapist offered her an insincere smile. “Something tells me you’ll have an opportunity to do so.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have a very distinct visual image of Clarice Starling in this universe and my stories based off some of the plans Bryan Fuller said in the commentary that he had for her and in part by the trainee in Silence of Lambs whom Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling bounced ideas of. Clarice in my stories has a similar relationship with Miriam Lass.
> 
> Medea is a mythological princess whom helped Jason get the Golden Fleece. Jason married her only to abandon her for another woman. Medea killed that woman along with the sons she and Jason bore. This was the subject of a play, Medea, by Sophocles.


End file.
